


A Series of Alternate Endings

by TopazVulpix



Series: Forgotten Secrets [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Gen, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-26 09:13:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13232634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TopazVulpix/pseuds/TopazVulpix
Summary: So this is the work I mentioned previously where any holiday specials/requested one-shots/alternate chapters for The More They Stay the Same will go. Hopefully it'll be filled with some beautiful pieces by the time the main story is done!





	A Series of Alternate Endings

**Author's Note:**

> So many of my favorite TV shows have infamous little holiday specials. I figured The More They Stay the Same should be no different than that.
> 
>  
> 
> NOTE: SPOILERS FOR PLOT EVENTS OF THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME

Loki didn’t really understand the absurd holiday traditions his new human companions had decided to engage in as the winter solstice neared, and he wasn’t much of a fan of them either. They were just perversions of the celebrations Asgard had shared with them generations ago, and he was a fan of those events even less.

Perhaps it was because on Asgard those celebrations usually involved a lot of sparring tournaments and drinking. He’d been trying to avoid too much drinking. He didn’t need an extra headache. Besides he’d consumed enough alcohol before he came to Earth in his weeks of sleepless misery on Asgard.

 

Somehow, however, he found himself in the main lounge with a glass of spiked eggnog - courtesy of Tony and Thor - gathered around the enormous Christmas tree - also courtesy of Tony - with all his fellow Avengers on the morning of Christmas Day.

He leaned against the sidewall, watching them unwrap gifts they pulled from under the tree one by one. He had, technically, gotten them all something, but, for some reason, he’d been avoiding wrapping the gifts. He couldn’t say for sure why. His best guess was he was still too unsure of his place in the group to know for certain if his presents would be reciprocated.

“Reindeer Games! Get over here!” Tony called, waving to him, “You’re way behind on the unwrapping, and I really wanna see what your slightly unsettling scrapbook from Nat looks like. She put pictures of me that I swore I deleted forever in mine. Which, I mean, it's nice to be able to remember those times but I have no idea how the hell she got ahold of the photos.”

Loki was staring at him, looking for a response. He could feel his chest lifting hopefully, but he squashed down the feeling. It was foolish to trust someone who gave you exactly what you wanted no strings attached. He set down his eggnog and stepped slowly around the tree.

He noted he was the only one not wearing pajamas. Even Thor had followed the human’s trend with a pair of childish bright blue pants with little yellow lightning bolts on them. He rolled his eyes at the irony but settled down next to his brother as Natasha plopped a gift down in front of him.

He swallowed, still not trusting the situation entirely. He shook the hesitation away. These were his allies. They’d had his back in more than one dire situation and had only ever asked the same of him. He pulled the decorative paper off the box.

Inside was a simple brown leather book with gold lined pages. He was at a loss for words. The hand-bound gift smelled just like the books on shelves in his room on Asgard: books Frigga had given him one at a time every year around the solstice.

He gently lifted the cover and flipped open the pages. The gold edges extended inward, creating an intricate border with - he noted after a moment - his name inlaid in Viking runes over and over. The pages themselves had pictures and articles from SHIELD’s databases and news broadcasts, with occasional notes or circles around specific sections.

He tore into his next gifts with much less stalling. Clint had gotten him a new set of throwing knives. Tony gave him a bottle of vodka he suspected was specially brewed to be Aesir-strength. From Bruce and Cap, he’d gotten books: a collector’s edition of a book titled The Hobbit and what Rogers had told him was a first edition paperback of a murder mystery called And Then There Were None.

Thor’s present came last, and he chuckled as he pulled it out of the box. It was a holiday sweater, but the design on the front was quite inappropriate when looked at properly.

“Do you like it?” Thor asked, leaning forward nervously. “Tony helped me order it. He said it would be very fitting for the nickname he gave you. I thought it seemed aesthetically pleasing enough.” Loki glanced at Tony to find him smirking.

“Oh it’s lovely Thor, but I must ask, how closely did you look at it?” He was trying to keep the grin off his face.

“Fairly closely. Why?”

Loki couldn’t help but smirk as he slipped the garment over his head. “Oh, no reason. The design is just incredibly lovely.”

Thor’s jaw dropped open as he, apparently for the first time, saw the inappropriate positions of the three reindeer.

“You are not keeping that.”

“Oh yes I am. You gave it to me. You can’t take it back.”

“Well...you didn’t give me anything yet so I can.”

“Ah, quite the contrary,” Loki said, flicking his wrist and summoning the gifts he’d gotten for his teammates. They all appeared in a neat pile under the tree.

“Perhaps I’ll wear this to the festivals back home.” He tapped his chin in mock thought. “I think mother would be quite intrigued as to whom I got it from.”

“Loki no.”

“Loki yes.” He grinned as Thor lunged forward. The Thunderer dropped cleanly through the magical projection. Loki himself was already standing behind the couch chuckling.

He didn’t expect Thor to dive over the couch. Before he knew it he was trapped in a headlock by Thor as he attempted to pull the sweater off.  _Okay. Two can play at this game._

He let Thor get ahold of the sleeves and twisted out of the garment, retreating to the opposite side of the room before snapping his fingers. In an instant, the sweater was gone from Thor’s hands and back on him.

“You know maybe I’ll wearing to our next press conference too; I’ll tell all of Midgard how the God of Thunder delights in inappropriate humor.

Thor let out a frustrated scream and ran for him again. Loki was ready for him this time. He danced out of the way, cackling as he fled up the stairs to the kitchen.

 

It didn’t take too long for Thor to realize pursuing him was a lost cause. Loki settled onto the couch with the rest of the team and shot him a winning smile over the mug of hot cocoa he offered to his brother. Thor let out a sigh but accepted the mug.

Loki actually waited until after Thor had finished taking a sip before turning the drink into a snake that bit Thor before slithering away back to Loki. At that Thor rolled his eyes and Loki smirked. Maybe Christmas, maybe being an Avenger wasn’t so bad at all.


End file.
